Thread: How to fire Trump Board: Purgatory / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :
 
Heard an interesting discussion on How to Fire Trump. This appeared in the New Yorker

Basically, there is one of two ways. First, there is the 25th amendment to the US Constitution. It says if congress or the cabinet determines the president is unable to fulfill the duties of the office, he can be fired.

The other way is through the impeachment process. The House has to impreach. The Senate would have to convict.

The key to either option is the popularity of the President. Since Trump has been so unpopular, it can happen anytime. But the most likely time would be if the House of Representatives flips to the Democratic side.

Historically in an off election 32 Congressional seats flip to the opposing party. The House currently has a 35 seat Republican majority, so it is within the power of possibility.

And, now, the House Republicans have shot themselves in the foot with the forced passage of the Republican Health Care Act.

Interesting times.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
And here's the NPR "Fresh Air" interview with him on today's show (both 42:30 audio and transcript).

I was really impressed. The New Yorker writer Evan Osnos explained everything very well and in an understandable way. Host Terri Gross was at her best. (IMHO, she's at her best with investigative reporters/authors, and also musicians.) And she gave him the entire show. They both stayed calm and professional.

I highly recommend it.
 
Posted by Soror Magna (# 9881) on :
 
Important safety tip: replace Mike Pence, THEN impeach Trump. Pence is even more dangerous - he's a sexist, homophobic troglodyte who does have government experience.
 
Posted by bib (# 13074) on :
 
I'm disturbed, nay offended that Trump has curtailed the meeting with Australia's Prime Minister to a brief half hour. This is a slap in the face to one of the USA's closest allies and seems odd considering Trump really laid out the red carpet for the Chinese leader. This offensive treatment of our Prime Minister will not be quickly forgotten.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Soror Magna:
Important safety tip: replace Mike Pence, THEN impeach Trump.

Agreed -- we got rid of Agnew before dealing with Nixon.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by bib:
I'm disturbed, nay offended that Trump has curtailed the meeting with Australia's Prime Minister to a brief half hour. This is a slap in the face to one of the USA's closest allies and seems odd considering Trump really laid out the red carpet for the Chinese leader. This offensive treatment of our Prime Minister will not be quickly forgotten.

Oh come now. The PM is in the best company. Would you rather have your PM treated like Kim or Duterte?
 
Posted by Marama (# 330) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by bib:
I'm disturbed, nay offended that Trump has curtailed the meeting with Australia's Prime Minister to a brief half hour. This is a slap in the face to one of the USA's closest allies and seems odd considering Trump really laid out the red carpet for the Chinese leader. This offensive treatment of our Prime Minister will not be quickly forgotten.

I should think Turnbull was relieved -half an hour would have as much as anyone sane could take. But what a waste of money for his trip to US
 
Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Some of us would say that Turnbull's not exactly the best company either. Have you ever tried to have a sensible conversation with him on any topic other than how great he is?
 
Posted by Marama (# 330) on :
 
I am glad to say I have never had to have a discussion with Turnbull about anything. However, with all his faults I do think he is less mad than Trump.

[ 05. May 2017, 11:26: Message edited by: Marama ]
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Soror Magna:
Important safety tip: replace Mike Pence, THEN impeach Trump. Pence is even more dangerous - he's a sexist, homophobic troglodyte who does have government experience.

This. Very much this.

Frankly, I get tired quickly of all the speculation that impeachment is coming, it's only a matter of time. I'm as dismayed and repulsed by the Trump presidency as anyone, but I'll be very surprised if impeachment happens. Lack of popularity isn't nearly enough, and many politicical considerations would be in play. It could happen, but I don't think it's at all likely. (Though yes, I felt similarly about him getting elected in the first place.)

I wish the people spending their time dreaming about impeachment (or removal by the Cabinet, which is probably even less likely) would instead spend their time focusing on the 2018 and 2020 elections.
 
Posted by Martin60 (# 368) on :
 
Nice fantasy.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Nick--

If you follow the links in the OP and my following post, you'll find that the emphasis is on competency, fitness, etc. 25th amendment stuff.

Not just popularity.

FYI: More than 50,000 psychiatrists have signed a petition saying there's something seriously wrong with T.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Re Turnbull:

From the clips I saw on the news, he looked like he was having a great time. It looked like he was at that victory party that T threw.

If he only got half an hour with T, I'm guessing that was private talk. But they interacted quite a bit in the clips.
 
Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Marama:
I am glad to say I have never had to have a discussion with Turnbull about anything. However, with all his faults I do think he is less mad than Trump.

In my view, you're fortunate. Golden Key speculates that Trump and Turnbull interacted - my experience is that interacting with Turnbull is near impossible unless you're worshipping him. He'll then bless your very name.

Nick Tamen is right. OK, 50,000 psychiatrists (and of course none has examined him on a one-to-one basis) consider that there's something wrong with Trump. You could multiply that number by 10, and there'd still be very limited possibility of impeachment. How ever would you get a majority of the Reps to impeach, let alone persuade at least 2/3 of the Senators to convict him? Very, very difficult. The same for the vote by the Cabinet.
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Nick--

If you follow the links in the OP and my following post, you'll find that the emphasis is on competency, fitness, etc. 25th amendment stuff.

Not just popularity.

FYI: More than 50,000 psychiatrists have signed a petition saying there's something seriously wrong with T.

Yes, I know it's about more than popularity, GC. That part of my post was in response to a comment in the OP.

As for the 50,000 psychiatrists, I'm guessing none have actually examined him, and they're just going off public info. I think they could well be right, but that's hardly a diagnosis.

Reagan had dementia during much of his presidency, and he had a Cabinet made up of people with backbone, yet they didn't remove him. (It was discussed, apparently.) Somehow I have trouble imagining that Trump's Cabinet would have the backbone to remove him, something that as best I can remember has never happened before.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
No, they never will. That would be the GOP admitting their figurehead was a mistake, and they will never do that. They will stonewall and delay as long as they can; party is more important to them than the country.

A better hope would be flipping Congress in 2018. With a Democratic House, some subpoenas could be issued. His tax returns will tell the tale. Lyin' Don is so dirty and corrupt already that a solid case could quickly be made for malfeasance. Then and only then can we move on to impeachment.

With the threat of a Full Nixon before him, Li'l Donny might be induced by Ivanka to resign 'for health reasons'.
 
Posted by romanlion (# 10325) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Martin60:
Nice fantasy.

If by nice you meant puerile, then I totally agree.
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Soror Magna:
Important safety tip: replace Mike Pence, THEN impeach Trump. Pence is even more dangerous - he's a sexist, homophobic troglodyte who does have government experience.

So here is the dilemma. For everyone.
Trump is more and more showing his lack of fitness.
Pence is better for the Republicans, they would be a steamroller running over the people and environment. But they would have to admit they were wrong and face the delusional faithful.
Pence would be worse for the, well everyone except the already rich, but avoiding him requires not firing Trump. Something that I imagine sticks in the craw of every mentally balanced person in the US.
The best solution for America, and probably the world, would be if the Democrats took over the House and left the Cheeto in office.
Not a fantastic one, but there is no good option available for nearly 4 years.

[ 05. May 2017, 14:50: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
If he could be chained and rendered impotent by the legislative and judiciary arms of the government, then keeping Lyin' Don on deck, raving and gnawing the deck planking, might indeed be the smartest tactic for the Democrats. The Tea Party base would still have their flag in all its tweeting ugliness but we normal people would be kept more or less safe from the lunacy.

Our problem at this moment is that although the judiciary is a bulwark, Congress is rubber-kneed and spaghetti-spined, the Viagra-popping slave of their vile master. If we can throw the ring into the volcano, he will become the usual dark spirit gnawing itself but unable to grow or interfere.
 
Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :
 
I think it could be quite a bad thing to impeach Trump, or to have him die in office. Some people in the USA are really very unstable, and they have virtually unfettered access to military grade weapons. Quite a few of them might tip over the edge and do some real damage if Trump is perceived as hard-done-by, and if he is impeached he will be seen as being hard done by.

I think it would be much better for Trump to decide not to run again after four years and allow Pence to take his shot early. The trouble with Pence is that he looks good and sounds reasonable, if you don't listen to his words. I think he will be a good candidate for the Republicans next time around.

But, let's just focus on the midterms hey. This shit is a distraction.

As for the Trump/Turnbull relationship, Trump is still pissed that we didn't roll over on the refugee deal. Turnbull just needs to spend a year or so soft soaping him, or at least as long as he has till Turnbull loses the next election. Then our Bill Shorten will no doubt have to grovel at Trump's feet about those comments he made before Trump's election. Sigh. Smile, chew Trump Steak, laugh at barely comprehensible joke, compliment compliment compliment. Gee what big hands you have. Very powerful.

Stupid Turnbull should have offered that refugee deal up on a silver platter in the first place, in homage to the Great Man. We would have been where we needed to be alot earlier and with less brown-nosing. And maybe we could have dealt with our own refugee storm-in-a-teacup ourselves.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Our problem at this moment is that although the judiciary is a bulwark, Congress is rubber-kneed and spaghetti-spined, the Viagra-popping slave of their vile master. If we can throw the ring into the volcano, he will become the usual dark spirit gnawing itself but unable to grow or interfere.

Our real problem is that the Democrats have no one who can step forward as a front runner. If the Kennedy Brothers are indeed in heaven, perhaps they can whisper in God's ear to do something, anything.
 
Posted by Pangolin Guerre (# 18686) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:

With the threat of a Full Nixon before him, Li'l Donny might be induced by Ivanka to resign 'for health reasons'.

I argued the same thing on The Circus poll on Trump's departure, except that IRCC I raised also the possibility of a Praetorian move. I'll split the pot with you.

[ 05. May 2017, 17:49: Message edited by: Pangolin Guerre ]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
[QUOTE]Our real problem is that the Democrats have no one who can step forward as a front runner. If the Kennedy Brothers are indeed in heaven, perhaps they can whisper in God's ear to do something, anything.

No, I think we're OK. Remember the election is three years away. In early 2005 how well known was Barack Obama?
 
Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :
 
The New Yorker article points out that quite a few of the presidents of the past also had mental health issues. It is well known Lincoln suffered severe depression most of his life. Lyndon Johnson became very paranoid because of the stress level of the office. But in most cases, the presidents were still able to function.

The article also addressed the issue of why so many mental health professions have publically questioned Trump's ability to govern without having to formally examine him. Basically, it goes to a rule that came out of the Goldwater campaign. Goldwater claimed he lost because mental health people questioned his ability to govern and Goldwater sued. Goldwater won. The biggest difference now is many professionals feel a greater obligation under the duty to warn standard.

Popularity is a big issue in the impeachment process. We have had only two presidents be impeached. In both cases the men had become unpopular. Andrew Johnson was impeached by his own Republican party because of how Johnson wanted to go easy on the Southern States after the Civil War. Bill Clinton was also quite unpopular he was impeached--he was actually impeached by a lame duck congress as its last hurrah, frankly. Nixon resigned before he could have been impeached, but, again, he was widely unpopular nationwide.

So, if 35 House of Representative sents flip to the Democrats, they will have enough votes to impeach. But there are a number of Republican members of the house who also privately question Trump's fitness

The likelihood of he HoR flipping has increased with the latest passage of the Republican Health Care Act.

On the Senate side, you will need 60 Senators to vote to convict. I am betting by the time 2018 comes around there will be enough Republican Senators who will want to cut their losses and get rid of Trump because they will be facing their own constituents if not in 2018, 2020.

BTW, Spiro Agnew was not impeached. He was forced to resign.
 
Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :
 
Conservative commentator George Will is now saying Trump has a dangerous disorder and should be removed from office.
 
Posted by Ian Climacus (# 944) on :
 
Just a question from left-field...

Say you got rid of Trump. Say he was replaced by a more typical politician who didn't take to Twitter each evening to say how GREAT or BAD something is. Say even the Democrats win the next election.

What changes for the disaffected? What changes for those who, for whatever reason, voted for Trump? Do you see any recognition from either side, and here is where I show my colo(u)rs, that the promises of endless wealth and choice are an illusion for some and do not necessarily mean a more equal society? Do you see a recognition that promises made by politicians are worth nought? (And to criticise the other side, how many here truly believe Hillary would not support the Transpacific Free Trade Agreement after her changing her view in the campaign? Are we just supposed to expect lies?)

Does this mean the disaffected disengage completely? While us political junkies rejoice that the evil wizard is dead and buried, politically, and continue to act as if all is fine? Maybe I am too pessimistic...but I worry nothing has been learnt from Trump. But maybe I am wrong.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
You want us, or someone, to promise real change. Surely you can see that that entirely depends upon who is elected (or succeeds) to the post. In other words, it is utterly unknown at this time.

Nor do I believe that a simple swap at the top will really change things. Real change is slow, generations slow. An example: in our lifetime, we have seen China's poverty shift. There is a middle class now. Will it stick? Can the good trend continue? Unknown, but it was a tremendous amount of work and luck to get it even to this point.
 
Posted by Ian Climacus (# 944) on :
 
Good points. Thanks.

A more direct question, if anyone knows. Are the Democrats (whoever "they" are) taking a good hard look at why the ogre got so many votes, or is it a case of them trying to rally their supporters? I am not saying it needs to be either / or, but I do worry about preaching to the converted alone, while the disaffected are left so...and left as easy targets for Trumpesque lunatics. But maybe it is a time thing as you wrote Brenda...I am impatient and I worry what Trump, Brexit, Let Pen... means for the future. And worry if Trump's replacement will be worse than the first!
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ian Climacus:
Just a question from left-field...

Say you got rid of Trump. Say he was replaced by a more typical politician who didn't take to Twitter each evening to say how GREAT or BAD something is. Say even the Democrats win the next election.

What changes for the disaffected? What changes for those who, for whatever reason, voted for Trump? Do you see any recognition from either side, and here is where I show my colo(u)rs, that the promises of endless wealth and choice are an illusion for some and do not necessarily mean a more equal society? Do you see a recognition that promises made by politicians are worth nought? (And to criticise the other side, how many here truly believe Hillary would not support the Transpacific Free Trade Agreement after her changing her view in the campaign? Are we just supposed to expect lies?)

I think it's easy to feel this way, when we see so much evidence on both sides of the aisle of the corrupting influence of deep/dark money.

But... to draw this to the logical conclusion, you would have to conclude, for example, that eight years of the Obama administration were meaningless. But the last 100 days have been about undoing what Obama did-- and we are already feeling the pain. The Obama presidency certainly did not go far enough, was hindered and perhaps blinded in many ways. But there were clear and measurable gains in the environment, in employment, and notably with health care-- as evidenced by our dismay at seeing it all undone.

As Brenda said, it's a long, slow process, and one that involves more than just POTUS. But change does happen-- incrementally-- with sufficient public will behind it.
 
Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Gramps49:

On the Senate side, you will need 60 Senators to vote to convict. I am betting by the time 2018 comes around there will be enough Republican Senators who will want to cut their losses and get rid of Trump because they will be facing their own constituents if not in 2018, 2020.

With 100 senators, and a vote of 2/3 required to convict on impeachment, my maths says you need 67 Senators.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
You could read The Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker. In which he argues, and bolsters it with vast data and graphs, that over the millennia the human race has gotten slowly but measurably less vicious. His thesis has been hotly debated. But it is one of those books which you finish and then pray, "Oh Lord, let Pinker be right!"
 
Posted by Ian Climacus (# 944) on :
 
Thanks cliff dwellers and Brenda. Food for thought.

I heard an interview with Pinker on that book...it does sound interesting.

Thanks again.
 
Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :
 
Okay, 67.
 
Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Even harder to get than 60 - and that's after getting a majority in the Reps to impeach him. Buckley's chance of either.
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
No, I think we're OK. Remember the election is three years away. In early 2005 how well known was Barack Obama?

In 2005, Barack Obama was an impressive new Senator. I know a couple of people who heard him speak at the time, and both said something to the effect of "watch this guy - he's going places." He may not have had much national recognition, but his name was circulating as a talent to watch.
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
No, I think we're OK. Remember the election is three years away. In early 2005 how well known was Barack Obama?

In 2005, Barack Obama was an impressive new Senator. I know a couple of people who heard him speak at the time, and both said something to the effect of "watch this guy - he's going places." He may not have had much national recognition, but his name was circulating as a talent to watch.
I actually told my students in a class I was teaching around then that I hoped to vote for Sen. Obama from Illinois someday.

But he wasn't the obvious front-runner at the time. Which is the point-- there are a lot of interesting Democrats out there-- front runners like Elizabeth Warren to lesser knowns like Kamala Harris from my own state. The point is 2020 is a long way off, there's still time for someone to stand out from the pack.

The same is true, of course, for the GOP-- if they aren't running Trump or Pence.
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I still wonder, though, will misogyny allow America to elect a female president regardless of her qualifications?
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
The point is 2020 is a long way off.

But 2018 isn't. Who is there who could replace the despicable Mitch McConnell and his deer-in-the-headlights stare, or the loathsome Lindsay Graham, who looks like he washes his face in Botox, or all the other Repulsivicans?
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
But 2018 isn't. Who is there who could replace the despicable Mitch McConnell and his deer-in-the-headlights stare, or the loathsome Lindsay Graham, who looks like he washes his face in Botox, or all the other Repulsivicans?

Umm, anybody? But McConnell and Graham aren't up for election in 2018 (unless you mean to suggest that the Senate should swing D, in which case Chuck Schumer, the current minority leader, would make a perfectly acceptable job of majority leader).
 
Posted by Pangolin Guerre (# 18686) on :
 
I say this not in defense of Trump, but as a general observation about the mental health of POTI (latinised plural of POTUS). The responsibilities of the office have always been heavy, but they have grown in ways unquantifiable since the founding of the republic. However robust the USA has been, it was really only in 1945 that it assumed truly global responsibility, in that it could destroy the globe (well, its ecosystem, but still...) My point is that under the pressure of so many, so great, responsibilities, any human might go a bit wonky. That Lincoln, who suffered depression before becoming POTUS, managed to keep it together through the Civil War, is why he is the one president of whom I revere. He was possessed of a depth of humanity that, I think, is what got him through. (Great affection for FDR, and would love to have a few drinks with Teddy, for all his flaws.)
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pangolin Guerre:
... That Lincoln, who suffered depression before becoming POTUS, managed to keep it together through the Civil War, is why he is the one president of whom I revere. ...

Since half the country was fighting a war against him at the time, is that really the best way of putting that?
 
Posted by Pomona (# 17175) on :
 
Armchair diagnosing Trump is a bad idea. It only serves to increase stigma against people with mental illness, particularly those with personality disorders who experience particularly high levels of stigma. Mental illness and neurodivergence (autism, ADHD, OCD and other conditions that are down to inherent neurological difference) does not determine someone's personality as being unstable, unpleasant, untrustworthy etc. Plenty of neurotypical Trumps exist.

Given that mentally ill and neurodivergent people's healthcare is being taken away by Trump, armchair diagnosing him because he's an awful person seems to be in particularly poor taste. I'm mentally ill and have ADHD, my best friend has a personality disorder - both of us could be a better President (our UK citizenship notwithstanding).
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pomona:
Armchair diagnosing Trump is a bad idea.

The first inkling that something is not right rarely occurs in a psychologist's office.
quote:

It only serves to increase stigma against people with mental illness, particularly those with personality disorders who experience particularly high levels of stigma.

In this case I disagree, at least partially. Not because I detest the man, but because his proposed conditions are not the only thing by which he is being judged.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
No, I think we're OK. Remember the election is three years away. In early 2005 how well known was Barack Obama?

In 2005, Barack Obama was an impressive new Senator. I know a couple of people who heard him speak at the time, and both said something to the effect of "watch this guy - he's going places." He may not have had much national recognition, but his name was circulating as a talent to watch.
I believe it was this speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention that brought Barack Obama national recognition.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
According to National Public Radio, 129 People Have Already Filed To Run For President In 2020 (including Trump). They also offer speculation about some other potential candidates (Mark Zuckerberg???).
 
Posted by Pomona (# 17175) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
quote:
Originally posted by Pomona:
Armchair diagnosing Trump is a bad idea.

The first inkling that something is not right rarely occurs in a psychologist's office.
quote:

It only serves to increase stigma against people with mental illness, particularly those with personality disorders who experience particularly high levels of stigma.

In this case I disagree, at least partially. Not because I detest the man, but because his proposed conditions are not the only thing by which he is being judged.

So increased stigma against people with mental illness just doesn't matter?

'Something is not right' is not a diagnosis. It would be inappropriate to diagnose someone as having diabetes just because they're very thirsty, or as having a brain tumour just because they have a really bad headache. Nobody would act like this about physical illness, so why perpetuate the myth that mental illness is less of an illness? Moral failure is not a mental illness, and neither is mental illness a moral failure.
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pomona:
So increased stigma against people with mental illness just doesn't matter?

I didn't say that in the slightest.
quote:

'Something is not right' is not a diagnosis. It would be inappropriate to diagnose someone as having diabetes just because they're very thirsty, or as having a brain tumour just because they have a really bad headache. Nobody would act like this about physical illness,

WTF?! Yes they would. Not one physical instance, but recurring? Of course people do.

I don't see this thread denigrating mental illness. I see people observing Trump's obvious problems beyond his moral deficiencies and trying to work them out. If one views videos from his younger days, there is an apparent degradation.
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
And it's not just unqualified internet bloggers who are making the suggestion of mental instability-- it's highly regarded psychiatrists. Quite a few of them, despite professional reservations about the practice of long-distance diagnosis. And they're not claiming "mental illness" in some generalized way that would stigmatize all those who suffer in this way-- they're suggesting a specific diagnosis with specific criteria that Trump appears to meet.

Is it speculative? Of course-- as everyone, including those raising the alarm, realizes. But there are clear signs. So your physical illness analogy is apt: if someone is really thirsty a lot, that doesn't mean they automatically have diabetes. But a competent physician who observes excessive thirst and one or two other markers would reasonably say "this is something we should check out" and order a blood panel. That's what psychiatrists are saying here-- there are markers for narcissistic personality syndrome, Trump appears to meet quite a lot of them, and professionals in the field are saying this is something that should be checked out by a medical professional-- for the good of the country if not the world.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pomona:
'Something is not right' is not a diagnosis. It would be inappropriate to diagnose someone as having diabetes just because they're very thirsty, or as having a brain tumour just because they have a really bad headache. Nobody would act like this about physical illness, so why perpetuate the myth that mental illness is less of an illness?

People do assume physical illnesses based on observations, even if they're not doctors. For one example, my sister was our mother's chief caregiver when Mom had Parkinson's. My sister could tell watching Pope John Paul II on television that he had symptoms of Parkinson's long before the Vatican announced it.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Leaving aside his moral issues (the narcissism and the like), I'm concerned about his word salad and his rotten judgement. Those look like deepening dementia to me, and I have some professional training / education on the subject.

I would be very glad to get a proper doctor to see him, but you know that's going to be refused. Remember what he did with that during the campaign?

A pity there's no simple test for Alzheimer's.

ETA: And yes, this is armchair diagnosis, it can hardly be avoided when you hear someone being as routinely incoherent as he is. And really, virtually every "real" diagnosis is preceded by armchair diagnosis, even if it's no more definitive than "something ain't right." That's how relatives get taken to the doctor in the first place--somebody gets worried enough.

[ 06. May 2017, 18:26: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 
Posted by Pangolin Guerre (# 18686) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:
quote:
Originally posted by Pangolin Guerre:
... That Lincoln, who suffered depression before becoming POTUS, managed to keep it together through the Civil War, is why he is the one president of whom I revere. ...

Since half the country was fighting a war against him at the time, is that really the best way of putting that?
Very funny. Moving on...
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Leaving aside his moral issues (the narcissism and the like), I'm concerned about his word salad and his rotten judgement. Those look like deepening dementia to me, and I have some professional training / education on the subject.

I would be very glad to get a proper doctor to see him, but you know that's going to be refused. Remember what he did with that during the campaign?

A pity there's no simple test for Alzheimer's.

ETA: And yes, this is armchair diagnosis, it can hardly be avoided when you hear someone being as routinely incoherent as he is. And really, virtually every "real" diagnosis is preceded by armchair diagnosis, even if it's no more definitive than "something ain't right." That's how relatives get taken to the doctor in the first place--somebody gets worried enough.

The tentative diagnosis that's being suggested by a number of psychiatrists is not Alzheimer's but rather narcissistic personality disorder, which is not a simple disagreeable personality trait but an identifiable mental illness with specific diagnostic criteria outlined in DSM. Unfortunately, unlike many other forms of mental illness it is notably difficult to treat and the nature of the disorder makes it unlikely the patient will seek treatment voluntarily.

Of course the two are not mutually exclusive-- it's quite possible for POTUS to suffer from both Alzheimer's and narcissistic personality disorder. But I see a lot more evidence for the latter. Some of the word salad we're seeing can be a function of that as he finds himself so clearly out of his depth but is incapable of acknowledging that.

All of which again simply suggests the necessity of an extensive mental and physical health evaluation. How one obtains that involuntarily is of course another matter.

[ 06. May 2017, 19:53: Message edited by: cliffdweller ]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Certainly. I left out the (extremely obvious!) narcissism because it borders on being (okay, IS) an ethical problem, though of course it's classed as a personality disorder too. I figured we'd beaten that horse to death already in this thread, and I'd only stir up more "but being nasty isn't a disorder!" posts if I said more on it.

[ETA: and of course Alzheimer's comes to the narcissists and the non-narcissists, and it's entirely possible--even likely--that he has both.]

Alzheimer's, on the other hand, is fairly clearly a different thing than simply being nasty, though it can lead to nastiness (or the opposite, if you're lucky). It's also pretty easy to diagnose from a distance once it gets advanced enough. Not in the sense of being able to tell it from the other dementias (Lewy body etc.) but in the sense that you can tell there's definitely a medical problem as opposed to pure nastiness.

I'm not completely convinced that simply getting over one's head will produce this degree of word salad, though. He is mixing up nouns and... well, everything; his sentences seem to have three syntactical structures (all incomplete) as often as they have one; his antecedents are completely screwed, and not in the ways that normal people screw up.

I wonder if this explains his fondness for Twitter. The character limit prevents some of his incoherence because he simply can't go on long enough to lose himself as thoroughly as he does when speaking.

Now there's a dissertation topic for some poor grad student. [Devil]

[ 06. May 2017, 21:12: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Certainly. I left out the (extremely obvious!) narcissism because it borders on being (okay, IS) an ethical problem, though of course it's classed as a personality disorder too. I figured we'd beaten that horse to death already in this thread, and I'd only stir up more "but being nasty isn't a disorder!" posts if I said more on it.

[ETA: and of course Alzheimer's comes to the narcissists and the non-narcissists, and it's entirely possible--even likely--that he has both.]

Alzheimer's, on the other hand, is fairly clearly a different thing than simply being nasty, though it can lead to nastiness (or the opposite, if you're lucky). It's also pretty easy to diagnose from a distance once it gets advanced enough. Not in the sense of being able to tell it from the other dementias (Lewy body etc.) but in the sense that you can tell there's definitely a medical problem as opposed to pure nastiness.

I'm not completely convinced that simply getting over one's head will produce this degree of word salad, though. He is mixing up nouns and... well, everything; his sentences seem to have three syntactical structures (all incomplete) as often as they have one; his antecedents are completely screwed, and not in the ways that normal people screw up.

I rarely say this, but you're wrong on this one, Lamb. Narcissistic Personality Disorder as a recognized mental illness is not the same thing as "being nasty" or even "being full of oneself". It is a medical issue, not an ethical one (which is not to say that Trump doesn't have waaay more than his share of ethical issues, but that's not what this is about). NPD has recognized diagnostic criteria identified in the DSM-- markers-- of which Trump hits most. Especially when compared to Alzheimer's-- which is similarly difficult to diagnose. It is NPD that professionals in the field are pointing to, not Alzheimer's. And the more extreme range of NPD could similarly skew one's perception of reality in ways quite similar to what we're seeing with Trump. Which is why a professional assessment is in order-- albeit quite difficult to imagine how to compel it.

Again, this is different from just saying he should be impeached because he's not a nice person or we don't like him.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
A professional assessment is in order-- albeit quite difficult to imagine how to compel it.

Perhaps the press, perhaps under the clandestine guidance of the medical profession, could prod him incessantly with questions, his answers to which would likely expose the disease.
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
A professional assessment is in order-- albeit quite difficult to imagine how to compel it.

Perhaps the press, perhaps under the clandestine guidance of the medical profession, could prod him incessantly with questions, his answers to which would likely expose the disease.
We've really got that much already. That's the basis of the tentative diagnosis which dozens of highly regarded psychiatrists have already broken protocol to detail on the record.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Nothing shall be done about it. He's already practically raving, on camera or on Twitter. How much worse can he get? Fall down at the podium and foam at the mouth? They'll pull a Wilson, and keep him behind doors (hand over the phone to some more sane tweeter) and we won't be able to do anything about it. We must hope that some major crisis doesn't descend and catch us with our pants down.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
Had to Google "pull a Wilson." I don't see your reference.

If he fell down at the podium foaming at the mouth, I think something would be done.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
I rarely say this, but you're wrong on this one, Lamb. Narcissistic Personality Disorder as a recognized mental illness is not the same thing as "being nasty" or even "being full of oneself". It is a medical issue, not an ethical one (which is not to say that Trump doesn't have waaay more than his share of ethical issues, but that's not what this is about). NPD has recognized diagnostic criteria identified in the DSM-- markers-- of which Trump hits most. Especially when compared to Alzheimer's-- which is similarly difficult to diagnose. It is NPD that professionals in the field are pointing to, not Alzheimer's. And the more extreme range of NPD could similarly skew one's perception of reality in ways quite similar to what we're seeing with Trump. Which is why a professional assessment is in order-- albeit quite difficult to imagine how to compel it.

Again, this is different from just saying he should be impeached because he's not a nice person or we don't like him.

Ugh.
[brick wall] I was NOT saying that NPD = being a nasty person. I was saying that on this thread there seems to be a confusion between the two states for certain posters (not including me), and that certain other posters are getting very ... energetic... about calling them on it. Which is why I avoided further discussion that particular diagnosis. I'd just be generating more heat and less light.

I do, by the way, entirely agree that he has NPD. If I ever saw a textbook case...

My point was simply that you can have TWO mental disorders at the same time, and that IMHO Trump has at least one (the NPD) and is likely to have two--the second being early Alzheimer's or one of the other dementias. I chose to discuss that second one here because it is less likely to provoke posts like "You only say that because you don't like his personality." Most people can tell the difference between AD/similar dementias and being a nasty person. That degree of clarity doesn't seem to exist in the public mind when we discuss NPD.

Full disclosure: I have the equivalent of a master's degree in professional counseling, though without the actual paperwork. This is the result of doing the degree in tandem with Mr. Lamb, who has English language issues sufficiently challenging that the only realistic way to make sure he both takes in everything he should (receptive learning) and expresses out everything he means (communicated primarily in writing--he does all right orally) is to study the subject right along with him--all the homework, sessions, etc. Which I did. I could probably get myself professionally licensed tomorrow if it weren't for the paper trail problem--and that could doubtless be adjusted if I forked over the extra $40,000 in tuition money they'd be wanting at the university for the ride-along student they didn't quite realize they had.

Anyway, sorry to be such an ass. But yes, I do know what the personality disorder are, I have more knowledge than I really want about the DSM-IV and V criteria, and yeah, I do still think Trump has dementia in addition to NPD. Though I admit I haven't gone back to listen to recordings of his earlier life to see if the items I mentioned have increased significantly.

[ 07. May 2017, 02:15: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 
Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
Thanks for the clarification-- that really wasn't clear in your original post, at least to me. But it is now. I think.

[ 07. May 2017, 02:39: Message edited by: cliffdweller ]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I'm sorry. I'm so fried, I ought to be in bed. Must tidy myself away...
 
Posted by Net Spinster (# 16058) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
Had to Google "pull a Wilson." I don't see your reference.

If he fell down at the podium foaming at the mouth, I think something would be done.

I would guess the reference was to Woodrow Wilson who was incapacitated towards the end of his presidency and whose wife etc kept it secret from everyone else. Note that prior to the 1960s amendment there was no way of removing a physically incapacitated president against his will.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
If he does have dementia, it can go downhill very quickly. My Mum went overnight from seeming almost her usual self ('tho there were many signs, looking back) to taking all her clothes off in public.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Net Spinster:
quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
Had to Google "pull a Wilson." I don't see your reference.

I would guess the reference was to Woodrow Wilson who was incapacitated towards the end of his presidency.
No, it's actually (according to Google) a reference to Senator Joe Wilson yelling out "You lie!" to President Obama during one of his State of the Union addresses. Not only rude beyond belief, and inappropriate, but untrue -- the President was not lying.

Which is why I don't understand Brenda's use of it. The current illegitimate occupant of the White House **does** lie profusely. Perhaps if more of his audiences were to call him out on it, we would eventually see results.

But that is not "pulling a Wilson" in the classic sense of the term -- at least according to Google.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
If he does have dementia, it can go downhill very quickly. My Mum went overnight from seeming almost her usual self ('tho there were many signs, looking back) to taking all her clothes off in public.

If Trump did that [Projectile] the Republicans would all admire his new clothes.
 
Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
1. We don't need a formal fucking diagnosis to see that the howling shitgibbon's just plain dumb. Or it'd-be-hilarious-but-for-the-missles-bit out of his depth. Or a puppet of whichever family member/crony/courtier has their hand shoved up his puppethole this week. There could be no label in Heaven, Earth, or the DSM-V for Trump, and he'd still be just as replaceable by a pig in a wig, an automated Twitter chatbot, and a randomized daily chance of global nuclear Armageddon.

Does he have dementia? Well, I'm not a doctor, I don't want to make diagnoses from afar, I don't really know enough to judge that medical stuff . . . but completely out of touch with reality, yeah, that's obvious. Narcissistic personality disorder? Same disclaimers, but who needs him—"fucking self-absorbed, self-serving egomaniac who will never understand that you can't fuck over the entire country just to put your name on it and make yourself rich" doesn't need a diagnosis. We don't need the clinicians to declare him unfit when we can all see the moral faults as plain as day.

2. But, other than the "nuclear weapons" bit, actually, going full-on Kind Hearts and Coronets is probably not needed. Having a blustering howler monkey in a bad tie who can't actually get anything done and only makes his party look bad by association isn't nearly as bad as putting Pence or Ryan (once Pence gets thrown out when we all discover how deep the corruption goes) in charge. Not only could they Get Things Done, but they have actual principles. They know what they want, and how to go about getting it...and Great Googly Moogly, is it ever terrifying. Short of throwing out everyone between Trump and Mattis—Pence, Ryan, Tillerson, and Mnuchin—it's going to be hard to get a competent, public-spirited adult who knows about governing into power.

Controlling Trump? Some people are actually figuring out how to do it. Just figure out how to manipulate the morning cable news, or whomever he last talked to. Imply Bannon's the power behind the throne, and poof, a different puppetmaster steps in. It's become a Jacobean palace drama, with courtiers vying for control of the mad king.

3. Who will the Democrats run? Well, the Presidency is now an entry-level job, so someone we've barely heard of might actually work. How long did it take the Tea Party to take over the Republican party? Two years? And where was Ted Cruz six years ago? A state solicitor general who'd argued a couple SCOTUS cases, sure, known to a few in conservative legal circles, but not someone capable of singlehandedly paralyzing the United States government!

Rises to power from seemingly nowhere are a Thing. The people entering the party today, who are running for off-year elections—the school board, city council, county sheriff, House of Delegates candidates who would have never thought of running for dogcatcher a year ago—will be running the ground game for statewide and national candidates in 2018 and 2020. They'll be in the smoke-filled room, such as it is these days. Yes, they'll eventually be the national candidates themselves—but in the near term, they can enable a seeming back-bencher who's going "somewhere, someday" to run today.

That may be the immediate impact of the new "if it's Sunday, there must be a protest" reality. There are new people who can shape the party machine, new people who are part of it—and maybe, just maybe, make it work in the upcoming elections.

[ 07. May 2017, 15:42: Message edited by: Ariston ]
 
Posted by Pangolin Guerre (# 18686) on :
 
Well, Trump just fired Comey. Who can be appointed without taint? And now that Comey is now cut loose, will he talk more (since staying mum when he really should have wasn't his strong suit)? Further, Sessions having recused himself, who then appoints Comey's successor?
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pangolin Guerre:
Well, Trump just fired Comey. Who can be appointed without taint? And now that Comey is now cut loose, will he talk more (since staying mum when he really should have wasn't his strong suit)? Further, Sessions having recused himself, who then appoints Comey's successor?

1. Nobody, of course.
2. I hope so, but I don't know how stringent the parting agreements are on such people. Very, I would think. Still, Congress ought to be able to access him again if they want.
3. Trump (duh). No, really--whoever appoints him will only be an extremely thin glove for that hand.

All in all, I find this fascinating. Trump is doing precisely what any sane president would NOT do when under investigation. It's as if he has a personal bad luck fairy advising his every move.
 
Posted by Lots of Yay (# 2790) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:

A pity there's no simple test for Alzheimer's.

Except autopsy [Devil]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
[Killing me]

Welcome back, Lots of Yay!
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
I agree that the thought of another 44 months of Trump presidency is enough to make one lose the will to live but if the democrats are sensible they'll leave him to get on with things for the moments.

IMO the Democrats would do far better to spend their time and energy on properly analysing why The Donald got the votes he did - in other words no taking refuge in simplistic "it was a bunch of redneck undesirables" cliches, and on bringing on a group of much younger politicians who can mount a credible and successful challenge to DT in 2020.

All the time being expended on anti-Trump demonstrations and campaigns is wasted effort: stop moaning and get working to make him a one-term POTUS. Of course, if DT manages to get himself impeached that would be a bonus, but if DT's loyal followers see even a hint of Democrat fingerprints on anything like that it will just make them more likely to find a DT look-alike to replace him, God forbid.
 
Posted by Hilda of Whitby (# 7341) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
Of course, if DT manages to get himself impeached that would be a bonus, but if DT's loyal followers see even a hint of Democrat fingerprints on anything like that it will just make them more likely to find a DT look-alike to replace him, God forbid.

His replacement would be his vice-president, Mike Pence, who is as scary if not scarier than DT.
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Yes, I know it would be Pence in the first instance: I was thinking about the 2020 election.

A cynic might look at Pence and decide he was actually the brightest of all the potential Republican presidential wannabees because he worked out that the way to power was more likely to be by avoiding the Donald on the stump but accepting the post of VP calculating there was a good chance that a Trump presidency would implode.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
L'organist--

Respectfully, no. Making sure he's a one-term president isn't enough. He's already done much damage, and he and his family and minions will continue to do much more. Not to mention what the Republicans in Congress will do. (It was one of them, I think, who recently said--to a roomful of angry people--that "no one dies for lack of health care"!)
[Help]

I think the Democrats *have* analyzed the election, and are considering what to do better. But they're also looking at all the many other problems with Trump being president: his competency; business interests; probably his provoking Kim Jung Un, which might well bring a nuclear boom; that damned wall; and all sorts of other lovely things.

T needs to go. **Legally and non-violently**, but he needs to go--and much sooner than the next election.
[Votive]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Welcome back, Lots of Yay!

Ditto.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I agree he needs to go. But I see no path to achieve this, short of flipping the House in November 2018. The current GOP is spineless; they will collude with Lyin' Don until the cows come home. They hold the majority; no special prosecutor can be named without them, and the president has to approve it -- fat chance.
If (as it appears now) the Department of Justice has been coerced into covering up for his criminous Russian involvement, then there is no hope of meaningful prosecution or investigation.
If the Union (and the world) can survive until the next election, then a Democratic House can issue subpoenas, for tax records and testimony that will lay the rot bare. I fear there can be no cleanup until then.
 
Posted by Crśsos (# 238) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I agree he needs to go. But I see no path to achieve this, short of flipping the House in November 2018. The current GOP is spineless; they will collude with Lyin' Don until the cows come home. They hold the majority; no special prosecutor can be named without them, and the president has to approve it -- fat chance.

Actually the special prosecutor statute expired in 1999 and was not renewed. (More details in this Storify.) The only person who can appoint a special prosecutor at this point is the attorney-general.

I suppose Congress could theoretically dust off the special prosecutor law and re-authorize it, but that seems less likely than Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III appointing a special prosecutor. Congressional Republicans won't act until forced to choose between saving Donald Trump's ass and saving their own.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
No, Sessions is clearly Lyin' Don's tool. Remember, he has already recused himself after howls of outrage. He'll never do it.

I believe it will get worse, and finally the GOP will be driven to cover their asses. But that worse will be very bad indeed. I foresee that people will have to die, Americans (i.e. real people from their point of view) not foreigners. Blood is what it will take.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lots of Yay:
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:

A pity there's no simple test for Alzheimer's.

Except autopsy [Devil]
Hi, Lots of Yay!

As for your suggestion... you make the first move. [Two face]
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Golden Key

I agree that in a perfect world Trump has to go, but there still seems to be far too much energy being wasted on demonising Trump supporters, which may enable some to vent their spleen but doesn't move forward a millimetre towards the goal of a White House free of The Donald.

As for the latest (Comey, possibility of taping, etc, etc, etc), I'm old enough to remember Nixon and Watergate and what is frightening is just how long it all took: the first wire-tap was done in late May 1972 but it was August 1974 before Nixon went. If you believe, as I do, that 26 months is too long to wait for DT to go (it would be end of July 2019 FFS!) then I'm sure you agree that all and every effort must be put into getting safe and credible replacements ready - of either party or none - PDQ.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
No, Sessions is clearly Lyin' Don's tool. Remember, he has already recused himself after howls of outrage. He'll never do it.

I believe it will get worse, and finally the GOP will be driven to cover their asses. But that worse will be very bad indeed. I foresee that people will have to die, Americans (i.e. real people from their point of view) not foreigners. Blood is what it will take.

[Tear]

There's hope - maybe it is dementia. If so it could progress very quickly. Those close to him wouldn't be able to cover it up indefinitely.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
There's hope - maybe it is dementia. If so it could progress very quickly. Those close to him wouldn't be able to cover it up indefinitely.

With Reagan it went on for years, probably starting well before his election to his second term.
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
... I agree that in a perfect world Trump has to go, but there still seems to be far too much energy being wasted on demonising Trump supporters, which may enable some to vent their spleen but doesn't move forward a millimetre towards the goal of a White House free of The Donald. ...

L'organist something needs to be done about the horrible man's horrible supporters. Otherwise, if people do succeed in removing him, there will rise up from the people who voted him in, the cry, 'we was robbed - we were going to be listened to - now we won't be - he is a martyr to the establishment who've got [sorry - I think I should have said 'gotten'] away with it yet again - we want vengeance'.

[ 13. May 2017, 15:52: Message edited by: Enoch ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Re dementia--

Another possible factor:

"Trump Takes Propecia, A Hair-Loss Drug Associated With Mental Confusion, Impotence: Everything you need to know about the new disclosure" (HuffPost). (That's from February 2017. It's based on NY Times reporting; but I went with HP to avoid the NYT paywall.) BTW, Trump's doctor revealed this, though he didn't say it affected Trump's mind.

Recently, someone mentioned, in the news, that if you look at old news videos, Trump seemed much more normal. What happened?
 
Posted by Pangolin Guerre (# 18686) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Re dementia--

Another possible factor:

"Trump Takes Propecia, A Hair-Loss Drug Associated With Mental Confusion, Impotence: Everything you need to know about the new disclosure" (HuffPost). (That's from February 2017. It's based on NY Times reporting; but I went with HP to avoid the NYT paywall.) BTW, Trump's doctor revealed this, though he didn't say it affected Trump's mind.

Recently, someone mentioned, in the news, that if you look at old news videos, Trump seemed much more normal. What happened?

A minor cerebral event, perhaps. Transient ischemic attack , perhaps. Things like that can affect one's personality.
 
Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :
 
Dunning-Kruger Effect: the phenomenon in which the incompetent person is too incompetent to understand his own incompetence.
 
Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Surely if a dude comes up with a sentence like the following he should be fired?

quote:
Look, having nuclear—my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer, Dr. John Trump at MIT; good genes, very good genes, OK, very smart, the Wharton School of Finance, very good, very smart—you know, if you're a conservative Republican, if I were a liberal, if, like, OK, if I ran as a liberal Democrat, they would say I'm one of the smartest people anywhere in the world—it's true!—but when you're a conservative Republican they try—oh, do they do a number—that's why I always start off: Went to Wharton, was a good student, went there, went there, did this, built a fortune—you know I have to give my, like, credentials all the time, because we're a little disadvantaged—but you look at the nuclear deal, the thing that really bothers me—it would have been so easy, and it's not as important as these lives are (nuclear is powerful; my uncle explained that to me many, many years ago, the power and that was 35 years ago; he would explain the power of what's going to happen and he was right—who would have thought?), but when you look at what's going on with the four prisoners—now it used to be three, now it's four—but when it was three and even now, I would have said it's all in the messenger, fellas, and it is fellas because, you know, they don't, they haven't figured that the women are smarter right now than the men, so you know, it's gonna take them about another 150 years—but the Persians are great negotiators, the Iranians are great negotiators, so, and they, they just killed, they just killed us.
Just saying.

Edited to add sauce.

[ 17. May 2017, 03:40: Message edited by: Zappa ]
 
Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :
 
hosting/

We the hosts can't stand seeing the top three threads on the board all being about Trump.

I'm closing this one, at least temporarily, and invite you to continue discussion on the "Oops" thread, which seems to the the most appropriately titled catch-all.

/hosting
 


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